The Struggle with Being a Business

For a long time I struggled with being a business. Being a business has been the biggest learning curve as we’re not taught that component in art school. Then became this conflict of presenting myself as a company ‘we’ when it was and always has been just me. “We’re now offering X.” Isn’t it enough to struggle with the duality of the self and the ego, let’s add a solitary we? 🤯😂😅

The ‘we’ isnt just a construct, being self-employed we are the practitioners and bookkeepers and marketers, it definitely can be a solitary ‘we’. It’s from this place of burnout where Id turn to full-time contracts to try to simplify things. It never did.

I was young and had all sorts of notions of what ‘we’ are supposed to do and how a company should present itself. For a long time I thought I wanted an agency housing many designers and staff. The closer ‘we’ got to those goals the less time I had for the things I enjoy, the fun of designing and the flow of the creative process sucked dry. Nervous system disregulation.

I am a soloprenuer, I am a one woman show and I base my life in many spiritual practices and philosophies. I had been putting my work into this completely sterilized ‘company brand’ that reflected very few parts of me. It’s no wonder I’ve been running from it into jobs that are even worse.

If you’re lucky enough to be self employed, make it yours. If you hate your job, start looking for something more suited. Build your business to support the lifestyle you want now. Don’t work blindly for a one day retirement. Outsource your bookkeeping. Build yourself into your brand so it can flow and grow and evolve with you. I’ll be featuring a dynamic brand such as this next week.